Anatomy, Histology, Embryology II
This subject continues to be extensive in terms of information quantity. The tips are similar to the first semester but there are a few more. This semester focuses on the study of all the internal organs, the muscles of the face and abdomen and all circulation, innovating nerve, lymph etc. How to pass Do not forget about the contents of the neck triangles and details about the lymph system. They are often overlooked and are frequently asked about in the exams Learn perfectly what is derived from the pharyngeal arches, clefts and pouches, they can be asked at anytime throughout the exam Learn the structures in proximity to each other Make sure you can talk about each organ macroscopically and microscopically Anastomoses are very important Do not leave the memorisation until just before the exam, there is too much information for this Memorise as much as you can weekly, you may forget things but it will make your revision easier Using Netter's Anatomy Flash Cards really helped me learn the basics and improved my identification skills, they are just a base though, you will need to know a lot more than is printed on the cards Some things don't need to be memorised, use logic, for example, forearm muscles are generally named after what they do Make up silly names or stories for things to memorise Quiz each other every now and again The Thieme handbook for internal organs is great to refer to in the dissection rooms Dissect as much as possible, some things are easier to identify with touch rather than sight, for example, veins and nerves Do not learn more then the subject requires at that time, chances are the examiners will not give you any extra credit and you may forget things you need to know. This subject takes two years, you will learn everything eventually Answer the question only, if more details are requires the examiner will ask If you are not sure don't rush trying the identify anything, you have no time limit, assess the structure and locate origins, insertions and what is next to it, this will help you avoid making mistakes and explaining the process shows the examiner you know what you are talking about No everything asked may be present in your samples, but knowledge of where is should be is required If your teacher gives you hand-outs, share them with other groups and get them to send you their as well. Due to the enormous amount of material, some key details could be missed by your own teacher, by referencing with other groups you will avoid this Go to the consultations with someone who really knows what they are talking about, it is a great time to practise but no teacher will be there the tell you if you are right or not Go to the lectures, make notes of the minor details, they could be asked on the tests Go to all the histology labs, it may me your only chance to fully understand the slides When trying to identify a slide learn a key thing that is unique for that slide and look for it, ask your teacher if you cannot identify one, you will generally be able to tell you. This skill will become more useful in the second semester Go to Blue Histology and practice identifying slides quickly Embryology written questions generally be labelling diagrams but oral theory questions can be asked at any point in the oral exams Most of the diagrams come form Langman's Medical Embryology The exams 2 midterms: 1 Anatomy: Oral exam about the heart and structures above it 1 Histology: Written exam with 80 questions on 30ish histology and embryology slides, identification and theory Each slide is projected to the entire group for a limited amount of time Semi Final: 3 parts: Anatomy: Oral test 3 parts: 3 from: Face, torso, abdomen or pelvis Histology: Oral exam: 2 slides, identification and theory Written exam: 2 parts Embryology questions, diagram labelling Questions on anything from the semester All must be passed with more than 50% or a 2, failure at any point will result in retaking the entire test 'The difficulties' The volume of information required to learn There will always be one moron who does no dissecting and monopolises the teachers attention with test questions. The dissection need to be done so share the responsibility and let everyone ask questions The semi final can take anywhere from 4 - 8 hours depending on the number of students and the efficiency of the examiners. this can sap your concentration for the final parts of the exam The difficulty of each exam part is dependant upon the examiner and their knowledge of that particular area In this department, histology is more focused upon than anatomy Conclusion This subject is not difficult to understand, however, the difficulty lies with the amount to learn. Keep on top of the material and this will reduce the revision time for the midterms and the semi final, ideally a week for the midterm and 1 - 2 weeks for the semi final should be enough. Without constant study you will be lucky to pass